In this case, the 17th time was the charm.

Emory, whose best showing in 16 previous appearances in the Division III Men's Tennis Championships was a second-place finish, claimed its first title by defeating two-time defending champion Williams, 4-0.

The championships were played May 14-19 at Gustavus Adolphus.

Emory lost to Williams, 4-3, in the championship match last year and to UC Santa Cruz in the 1996 final. However, the Eagles marched through this year's tournament in convincing fashion, defeating Trinity (Texas), 6-1, in the quarterfinals and Middlebury, 4-1, in the semifinals.

Jesse Ferlianto and Tyson Ramsay clinched the doubles point for Emory when they upended John Haywood and Lex Urban, 8-5, at the No. 2 position.

In singles play, Ferlianto extended the Eagles' lead to 2-0 when he knocked off Scott Mackenzie, 6-1, 6-1, at the No. 6 position. Mark Odgers pushed the Eagles closer to the title with a 6-3, 6-4 win over John Haywood at No. 1, and No. 3 Brad Jaffe sealed the title for Emory with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Jeff Kivitz.

Both Emory and Williams finished the season with records of 16-4. Emory head coach John Browning has now won an NCAA team championship both as a player and coach. He was a member of UC Santa Cruz's winning squad in 1989.

Williams has now advanced to the championship match in five of the past six years.

Kevin Whipple and Eric Butorac of the host institution dominated the individual championships. Both players advanced to the singles final and also teamed to earn a spot in the doubles final.

Whipple and Butorac wanted to be fresh for the doubles final and believed that if they played their singles championship, which was to be contested before the doubles event, they would not be competitive. Gustavus Adolphus' requests either to reverse the order of the finals or to post a double walkover with both Butorac and Whipple declared co-champions, were denied by the Division III Men's Tennis Committee.

The committee indicated that both players would be declared finalists, but no champion crowned, if the players chose not to compete against each other. Whipple volunteered to default, making Butorac the second Gusties player to claim the national singles title.

With the singles matter resolved, Whipple and Butorac defeated Brian Murphy and Rob Condiotty of Redlands, 6-2, 6-2, for the doubles title. Whipple and Butorac became the fifth Gustavus Adolphus tandem to claim a Division III crown.

Whipple and Butorac became only the second duo in Division III history to advance to the finals in both singles and doubles in the same year. Thomas Oechel and Brian Cummings of UC Santa Cruz also pulled off the championships double in 1999. Oechel defeated Cummings in the singles final and then the duo went on to capture the doubles title.

Quarterfinals

Gust. Adolphus 5, Mary Washington 1; Williams 4, UC Santa Cruz 3; Middlebury 4, Washington (Mo.) 0; Emory 6, Trinity (Tex.) 1.

Semifinals

Williams 4, Gust. Adolphus 1; Emory 4, Williams 1.

Third place

Gust. Adolphus 4, Middlebury 1

Doubles: No. 1 -- Eric Butorac-Kevin Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Stu Brown-Steve Hulce, Middlebury, 8-2; No. 2 -- Suspended; No. 3. Adam Morgan-Brett Morse-Karzen, Gust. Adolphus, def. Justin Ingoglia-Jeff Oldenburg, Middlebury, 8-4.

Singles: No. 1 -- Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Ingoglia, Middlebury, 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 -- Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Nathan Edmunds, Middlebury, 6-3, 6-0; No. 3 -- Brian Waldron, Middlebury, def. Kyle Anderson, Gust. Adolphus, 6-3, 6-3; No. 4 -- Ben Lundell, Gust. Adolphus, def. Ari Beilin, Middlebury, 6-3, 6-2; No. 5 -- Suspended; No. 6 -- Suspended.

Championship

Emory 4, Williams 0

Doubles: No. 1 -- Alex Jacobs-Mark Odgers, Emory, def. Jeff Kivitz-Andrew Murray, Williams, 8-4; No. 2 -- Jesse Ferlianto-Tyson Ramsay, Emory, def. John Haywood-Lex Urban, Williams, 8-5; No. 3 -- Scott Mackenzie-Daniel Murray, Williams, def. Dylan Bird-Brad Jaffe, Emory, 8-2.

Singles: No. 1 -- Odgers, Emory, def. Haywood, Williams, 6-3, 6-4; No. 2 -- Suspended; No. 3 -- Jaffe, Emory, def. Kivitz, Williams, 7-5, 6-3; No. 4 -- Suspended; No. 5 -- Suspended; No. 6 -- Ferlianto, Emory, def. Mackenzie, Williams), 6-1, 6-1.

Individual results

Singles

First round: Amir Marandy, Cal Lutheran, def. Ben Crandell, Principia, 6-2, 6-3; Justin Ingoglia, Middlebury, def. Nick Peel, Salisbury, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; Mark Odgers, Emory, def. JR Hall, Pomona-Pitzer, 7-6 (4), 6-3; Neil Kenner, Washington (Mo.), def. Marc Hill, Col. of New Jersey, 6-3, 6-2; Evan Tindell, MIT, def. Brian Alvo, Washington (Mo.), 7-6 (5), 6-4; Tyson Ramsay, Emory, def. David Frankel, Pomona-Pitzer, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (4); Eric Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Paul McClure, Wash. & Lee, 6-1, 6-1; Kevin Casey, UC Santa Cruz def. Macafee Burke, Bowdoin, 7-5, 6-1; Will Boe-Wiggard, Bates, def. Andy Campbell, Rhodes, 6-4, 6-4; Nick Barnes, Coe, def. Brian Casey, UC Santa Cruz, 7-5, 7-6 (2); Vitaliy Pereverzev, MIT, def. Casey Clagett, Wittenburg, 6-2, 6-2; Peter Taylor, Washington (Md.), def. John Michael Cham-A-Koon, Claremont-M-S, 6-4, 6-1; Conor Smith, Mary Washington, def. Marshall Kuresman, DePauw, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Colin Joyner, Bowdoin, def. Ivan Yeh, Claremont-M-S, 7-6 (9), 1-6, 6-3; Jason Abraham, Sewanee, def. Nathan Edmunds, Middlebury, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Kevin Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Brian Murphy, Redlands, 6-1, 7-6 (6).

Second round: Marandy, Cal Lutheran, def. Ingoglia, Middlebury, 7-5, 6-1; Odgers, Emory, def. Kenner, Washington (Mo.), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Tindell, MIT, def. Ramsay, Emory, 6-4, 6-2; Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Casey, UC Santa Cruz, 6-0, 6-1; Barnes, Coe, def. Boe-Wiggard, Bates, 6-0, 6-3; Pereverzev, MIT, def. Taylor, Washington (Md.), 6-2, 6-3; Smith, Mary Washington, def. Joyner, Bowdoin, 6-2, 7-6 (3); Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Abraham, Sewanee, 7-6 (2), 6-0.

Quarterfinals: Marandy, Cal Lutheran, def. Odgers, Emory, 7-5, 6-4; Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Tindell, MIT, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Pereverzev, MIT, def. Barnes, Coe, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5); Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Smith, Mary Washington, 6-1, 6-4.

Semifinals: Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Marandy, Cal Lutheran, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1; Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Pereverzev, MIT, 6-4, 6-2.

Championship: Butorac, Gust. Adolphus, def. Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, default.

Doubles

First round: Eric Butorac-Kevin Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Macafee Burke-August Felker, Bowdoin, 6-2, 6-2; Ryan Scott-Sean Fifield, Trinity (Tex.), def. Jason Abraham-Beau Cox, Sewanee, 6-3, 6-3; Neil Kenner-Ari Rosenthal, Washington (Mo.), def. Ivan Yeh-Michael Cham-A-Koon, Claremont-M-S, 6-4, retired; Kevin Loden-Dan Uyar, Mary Washington, def. Andrew Murray-Jeff Kivitz, Williams, 6-4, 6-4; Kevney Dugan-Dan Mann, Hope, def. Andy Campbell-Duncan Howell, Rhodes, 6-4, 6-1; Rob Condiotty-Brian Murphy, Redlands, def. Steve Hulce-Stewart Brown, Middlebury, 6-2, 6-4; Nick Barnes-Nick Frank, Coe, def. Matt Brunner-Ben Bartels, UC Santa Cruz, 7-5, 6-0; Mark Odgers-Alex Jacobs, Emory, def. Colin Ryan-Dan Williford, Rochester, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Quarterfinals: Butorac-Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Scott-Fifield, Trinity (Tex.), 6-2, 6-2; Kenner-Rosenthal, Washington (Mo.), def. Loden-Uyar, Mary Washington, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4; Condiotty-Murphy, Redlands, def. Dugan-Mann, Hope, 7-6 (4), 6-1; Odgers-Jacobs, Emory, def. Barnes-Frank, Coe, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Semifinals: Butorac-Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Kenner-Rosenthal, Washington (Mo.), 6-2, 7-5; Condiotty-Murphy, Redlands, def. Odgers-Jacobs, Emory, 7-5, 6-2.

Championship: Butorac-Whipple, Gust. Adolphus, def. Condiotty-Murphy, Redlands, 6-2, 6-2.